Lizard Island National Park

The Lizard Island Group is a continental (high) island group close to the outer barrier reefs on the edge of the continental shelf. The stark beauty of Lizard Island, rising 359m above sea level, is in direct contrast to the sparkling blue waters and luxuriant fringing reefs that surround the island group.

The six islands of the Lizard Island Group lie in a cluster 27km from the Queensland coast and were declared a national park in 1939. The other islands were added to the national park in 1987. The islands are within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority manage the islands and surrounding waters as protected areas.

Lizard Island National Park is the only continental island group close to the outer barrier reef. The stark, rugged beauty of Lizard Island contrasts sharply with the sparkling blue waters and luxuriant fringing reefs which surround the island group. More than half of Lizard Island is covered in grasslands. Eucalypt and acacia woodlands, heaths, paperbark swamps and mangroves are also found on the island. More than 40 species of birds have been seen on Lizard Island, while nearby Osprey, Seabird, South, Eagle and Palfrey islands are important bird nesting sites. The island's best-known animal is a lizard - Gould's sand monitor - after which the island was named by Lt James Cook during his exploration of the east coast of Australia in 1770.

The island group is rich in cultural meaning for the Dingaal Aboriginal people. The islands contain sacred sites including initiation, ceremonial and story sites as well as middens. Lizard Island is also rich in European heritage associated with the earliest European exploration of the coast and subsequent settlement. Today the islands are a popular tourism destination and the base for world-renowned tropical marine research.